Milpirri 09 (Jurntu) 2009

Lajamanu, North Tanami Desert

This year’s Milpirri is based on the Jurntu purlapa. Purlapa is a type of open (public) performance and celebration. The Jurntu performance teaches a story about kuruwarri (the law).

Lajamanu is a remote Aboriginal Community in the Northern Territory. The Milpirri project is based on a relationship between its creator Steve Wanta Jampijinpa Patrick (a Warlpiri man from Lajamanu), Lajamanu elders, Tracks Dance Company and the Lajamanu Community Education Centre.

This Milpirri performance contained eighteen sections, ten of which were traditional and eight contemporary. The event was based around a Warlpiri Purlapa (public ceremony) called Jurntu, a ceremony that teaches about law and justice. Four themes were derived from the traditional ceremony: Justice, Respect, Discipline and Responsibility. These themes were matched with songs, stories and metaphors related to traditional Warlpiri artefacts. For example, boomerangs symbolise respect, digging sticks symbolise the search for knowledge and the stone axe is a mark of responsibility. The performance culminates with the songs and dances for the Milky Way. In Warlpiri Law the Milky Way is a symbol of the path or road that a person should follow to be a productive and moral citizen. This Milky Way is also connected with the Emu stories, which stress the importance of teaching, and the Southern Cross stories that outline the essential principles of Warlpiri culture. In Milpirri, as in Warlpiri Law, each family group is responsible for a part of the story and therefore all families must participate in order to deliver a complete message.

In addition, all Milpirri events are based on an understanding of the rain dreaming song cycles and the rain cloud known as Milpirri. The Milpirri cloud is a storm cloud created by turbulent air rising off the desert. The turbulence represents the conflicts that arise between disputing parties. In contemporary times it is seen as a metaphor for the clash between mainstream and Warlpiri world views. The rain that falls after the storm is a symbol of the resolution that must be achieved after conflict. An integral part of all Milpirri performances is the philosophy that Yapa (Warlpiri) and Kardiya (non-indigenous people) must work together to understand each other and that from this position of mutual respect that reconciliation can be achieved, and more informed choices can be made. In the words of Milpirri creator, Steve Wanta Jampijinpa Patrick:

“Milpirri is about discovering together what it truly means to be Australian”.

Director’s Notes

This year’s Milpirri is based on the Jurntu purlapa. The Jurntu performance teaches a story about kuruwarri (the law) that was given to a woman, Jangiya (Liddy) Nakamarra, in the 1950s or 1960s. It is based on real events that occurred in the late 1800s or early 1900s, concerning a man who committed a very serious crime.

The themes of the Jurntu ceremony describe how all Warlpiri people are bound by the law and must face the consequences of their actions. Kuruwarri (the law) explains the proper functioning of the world, including the correct way in which humans should relate to each other and the world around them, as given to Warlpiri people through the Jukurrpa, rather than a set of rules designed and constantly modified by humans to regulate society.

Scenario

This year’s Milpirri is divided into four sections, each representing a theme from the Jurntu ceremony, with excerpts from the original purlapa performance, as well as modern interpretations performed by younger generations. Each of the colour groups (based on father-son skin groupings) has responsibility for one section.

Milpirri Introduction

Traditional lightning dance

Justice Introduction - Red (Jakamarra/Jupurrula, Nakamarra/Napurrula)

Youth Artefact dance - Traditional Male Artefact - mangurlpa (black-headed spear) dispenses justice, restores balance. Traditional Female Artefact - parraju (coolamon) Ngurlu (grain) is winnowed in the parraju and then ground to make damper. This highly developed skill symbolises the tact, discretion and subtlety needed to understand how to live by kuruwarri.

Traditional Male dance - Wampana

The red group have responsibility for many important areas of law and dance the spear and kangaroo songs, two very important bodies of legal knowledge.

Youth Artefact Dance – Traditional male artefact - kurrwa (stone axe). The kurrwa is the tool that is used to create all other tools as well as essential for survival on country. It requires significant knowledge and skill to make and is given ceremonially to signify that someone is ready to have the responsibility of using it wisely. Female traditional artefact - mardu (water carrier). The mardu holds life-giving water and symbolically holds those things that nurture the system of life in Warlpiri people and country.

Traditional Male Dance - Kurrawa - Stone Axe

Youth Dance

Traditional Female Dance - Ngapa

Wantarri tarri – (Milky Way) Finale - The Southern Cross and Emu (karna-nganja). The Milky Way is a road of learning. The sacred emu, a symbol of knowledge, flies within it, the Southern Cross crowning its head. If people learn to read the knowledge encoded within the Milky Way they can learn how to follow the law, to follow the right road and become good Warlpiri citizens. Part of the Milky Way Jukurrpa is danced as the finale in this year’s Milpirri.

Sky Lanterns

Narration and Song words

Introduction:
Speak to the land and the land will speak back
Don’t be afraid to go and find out about the world
You have to be hungry for it, and go hunting for it, and in doing that you are discovering yourself
This year’s Milpirri is about the body, the body of law and laws
Justice
Bring to balance
Getting back on track
Putting to ease the tension
Moving forward – being accepted back
Discipline
To be disciplined is to know, understand and follow the law
You will find freedom with yourself, your people and your country
You are not just looking after your story you are looking after everyone's story
Discipline is our tool for keeping our story alive
Respect
This land belongs to us all
We are a body of people - we are the arms and legs of each other
Know that no-one is better than anyone else
Everyone is valued - each group is respected
Every one is equal in the gaining access of the knowledge
Watch out for the lawless one
Responsibility
See the Southern Cross in the night sky
Let the Southern Cross sit within you
Let it guide, shape and even carry you
Responsibility is one of the tools to strengthen our identity
Our country and its stories are as unique as each one of us
We are born here
We are responsible for keeping the identity of our country alive

Milky Way Song:
This is crown land
Crowned well before the queen
Do you want to see the crown
Do you want to see an emu fly
Look above- see the Milky Way
Don’t let others do the hunting for you
Known your strengths
Know your weaknesses
Like a star
Let the law of the land be the light that can shine out in us all
Let it bind us together
Learn the laws of this land
Yungkaju Kurdari
Yungkaju Kurdari
Yungurnaju, Milyapinyi
Ngrarrpara warnarna
Yanirini manu yanirri
Kumumju Ngurlu-rna
Parrpardimi
Kankanlarra kari
Yungkaju Kurdari

Further Reading

Audience Response

"This Milpirri is one of the best things that the world should know about. Milpirri, it shows that Warlpiri people have Law and Justice. Law and Justice is a Kardiya word but we have Law and Justice in place but with dance, singing, the paintings. The discipline is in our rites and it can be shown to a lot of these children, the younger generation. It [Milpirri] brings people together and shows the world that we have something in common. They have it and we have it too but ours has always been here. Songs, dance, the lot. We are so proud we like to get our kids to train. The government is saying fill the gap, we can do it easy with this. Give us the funds and we can do more of this stuff in our own way." Rex Granites Japanangka (Warlpiri Elder and PhD candidate at Australian National University)

"Tonight was an amazing night to bring everyone together to celebrate together. Because our Law mixes in now with the Kardiya Law as well - bringing us together to stand together and to walk together on the same path and hopefully that will continue so that we can work together and live together and share together and care together, that is what Milpirri is all about. Milpirri does benefit our young people by bringing our young people into the light so that they can share their culture and we can continuing showing our culture to the young ones as well. Hopefully next year we can have a bigger Milpirri which will draw more people, not only people from around Australia but hopefully people from overseas will come to Lajamanu." Peter Jigili Jangala (Council Member)

"Milpirri is very unique cultural festival. It brings together old people and young people, traditional culture and contemporary influences, Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people in what is a spectacular and inspiring cross cultural event. Importantly too, the festival promotes the importance of education to young people and helps them to make connections between the old ways and life in the 21st Century." Paul Davis (Community Relations Coordinator Newmont Asia Pacific)

"I can’t thank you guys enough. Milpirri is the biggest and most exciting thing to happen to Lajamanu and we all really appreciate it." Andrew (Lajamanu Air Chief Pilot)

"I loved old men dancing, I loved old women dancing – I watched old yellow men and yellow is my skin group." Comments from Grade 3,4,5 class.

"This thing called Milpirri, I think every communities needs it." Chris Marshall (who was in Lajamanu in the late 60's and early 70's)

Cast Response

"Milpirri is the only chance we got today, showing our community, showing our young children. It is not for the old people but we see our elders, our tribe at Yuendumu are losing control of the young people, our older people are outnumbered there, none of our older people are willing to take the lead and get these young people back. The only way we can show Nyirripi, Yuendumu, Willowra, Ti-Tree is by setting up this Milpirri which is already working. A lot of our people from there now they think it is really good and they agree with it and now young people are starting to sort of take a step. And say "ahh yeah, that is the kind of things you old people used to do before, we are seeing it now". It is the things that we are giving them, the guidelines. Not only the guidelines to follow from the old people but the guidelines we have to give them to bring our young people forward. These are the things they need to follow. Milpirri is the way." Billy Bunter Jampijinpa (Warlpiri Elder)

"Milpirri is so they can remember that for the future, for everyone, passing it from generation to generation." Tim Kennedy Jupurrula (Warlpiri Elder)

"For non indigenous and indigenous people. Kardiya and yapa together. Tonight we been join together on this Milpirri reason, this ceremony, and everybody had a really good ceremony tonight. Dancing, singing, really good one." Jerry Jangala (Warlpiri Elder)

"Did you see those old men applauding? That is not very normal for Warlpiri. They applauded the women and kids because it was spontaneous. They enjoyed what each other had achieved. Also, I got a hug from one of my family members, it is not normal for a Warlpiri to hug your niece of nephew, but she couldn’t help it. She was proud of me and the whole thing – how often do Warlpiri get to feel proud of their family and kids." Steve Wanta Patrick Jampijinpa (Milpirri creator)

(Note: English is a second or third language for many Warlpiri people. All comments were given in English and have been edited only sparingly. Kardiya means non-indigenous and yapa means Warlpiri people.)